Health Disparities News and Research

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Health disparities (also called healthcare inequality in some countries) refer to gaps in the quality of health and health care across racial, ethnic, sexual orientation and socioeconomic groups.

Report on evidence-based disease prevention programs released by TFAH and NYAM

Trust for America's Health (TFAH) and The New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM) released a new report today featuring a range of evidence-based disease prevention programs that have shown results for improving health and reducing costs in communities.

22 Sep 2009

Diabetes more prevalent in African Americans due to living conditions

The higher incidence of diabetes among African Americans when compared to whites may have more to do with living conditions than genetics, according to a study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The study, available online in advance of publication in the October 2009 edition of the Journal of General Internal Medicine, found that when African Americans and whites live in similar environments and have similar incomes, their diabetes rates are similar, which contrasts with the fact that nationally diabetes is more prevalent among African Americans than whites.

22 Sep 2009

Study: Racial health disparities cost $229 billion from 2003-2006

"Racial health disparities cost the United States $229 billion between 2003 and 2006 — money that could help cover an overhaul of the nation's health care system, according to a new report by Johns Hopkins and University of Maryland researchers," The Baltimore Sun reports.

21 Sep 2009

U.S. healthcare system fraught with racial inequalities

Racial inequalities in health care access and quality added more than $50 billion a year in direct U.S. health care costs over a four-year period according to a study released today by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a Washington-based think tank.

18 Sep 2009

Researchers to focus on abnormal fetal growth and chronic kidney disease

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University two grants totaling $3.5 million to study epigenetic changes - chemical modifications of genes caused by stress, diet or other environmental influences - and how they contribute to human diseases and biological processes.

18 Sep 2009

NMQF launches the P.A.D. Atlas database that maps peripheral arterial disease prevalence by zip code

The National Minority Quality Forum (NMQF), one of the nation's leading voices in the health disparities discussion, is launching the P.A.D. Atlas, a database that maps by zip code peripheral arterial disease (P.A.D.) prevalence down to the street level, with the P.A.D. Coalition and support from the Bristol-Myers Squibb/Sanofi Pharmaceuticals Partnership.

15 Sep 2009

NCF aims to improve cancer care by providing easily accessible tools

The NavigateCancer Foundation (NCF), a nonprofit staffed by oncology professionals, provides patient advocacy tools and services for cancer patients and families, is filling an especially vital role as the ranks of the unemployed and uninsured steadily swell.

15 Sep 2009

Study: Racial inequalities in health care

The Joint Center's Health Policy Institute will unveil a study that estimates the direct medical costs of racial inequalities in health status and access to quality care.

14 Sep 2009

RWJF selects Regions Hospital to take part in its effort to improve cardiac care delivered in hospitals

MN Community Measurement today announced that Regions Hospital has been selected by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) to participate in a new effort to improve the quality -- and equality -- of cardiac care delivered in hospitals. The Aligning Forces for Quality: Equity Quality Improvement Collaborative (Equity QI Collaborative) will identify and test ways for hospitals to improve the quality and efficiency of their cardiac care, while also identifying and reducing any racial and ethnic disparities.

11 Sep 2009

Obesity experts call on policymakers to adopt obesity recommendations

The Obesity Society and other steering committee members of the Strategies to Overcome and Prevent (STOP) Obesity Alliance, and two former US Surgeons General, join together today to develop effective recommendations to urge policymakers to act on the inclusion of obesity as the largest and most urgent driving factor in healthcare reform.

10 Sep 2009

New protein fragments identified for anthrax vaccine development

Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have identified two small protein fragments that could be developed into an anthrax vaccine that may cause fewer side effects than the current vaccine.

4 Sep 2009

Mistrust of healthcare system could harm patients' health and raise overall health care costs

Mistrust among patients, providers and insurers could harm patients' health and raise overall health care costs, reports a new study.

2 Sep 2009

Report from health experts recommends several strategies to reduce childhood obesity

Zoning restrictions on fast-food restaurants near schools and playgrounds, community policing to improve safety around public recreational sites, requirements that publicly run after-school programs limit video game and TV time, and taxes on high-calorie, low-nutrient foods and drinks are some of the strategies local government officials can use to tackle the childhood obesity epidemic in their communities, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine and National Research Council.

2 Sep 2009

Statistics reveals that blacks experience higher rates of pancreatic cancer deaths than whites

Regardless of risk factors linked to pancreatic cancer, such as smoking and body mass index (BMI), blacks experienced higher rates of pancreatic cancer death than whites.

2 Sep 2009

Mistrust in health care system could impact patients' health and health care costs

Mistrust among patients, providers and insurers could harm patients' health and raise overall health care costs, reports a new study.

1 Sep 2009

Albert Einstein College of Medicine receives $11.2 million NIH grant to study genes associated with longevity

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University a five-year, $11.2 million grant to study the impact of damage to DNA on aging and disease. Research funded by this grant, and conducted by a consortium of scientists, could reveal the role of genome maintenance systems in delaying aging and will begin to explore novel interventions to maintain health in old age.

28 Aug 2009

Thickening of neck arteries in healthy middle-aged women with feelings of hopelessness

Healthy middle-aged women with feelings of hopelessness appear to experience thickening of the neck arteries, which can be a precursor to stroke, according to new research out of the University of Minnesota Medical School.

27 Aug 2009

Concussions could result in permanent brain impairment

Concussions, whether from an accident, sporting event, or combat, can lead to permanent loss of higher level mental processes. Scientists have debated for centuries whether concussions involve structural damage to brain tissue or whether physiological changes that merely impair the way brain cells function, explain this loss.

24 Aug 2009

The California Chronic Care Coalition launches new website to share information on chronic conditions

The California Chronic Care Coalition (CCCC) continues to advance its work toward meaningful and responsible health care reform with the launching of its consumer website: www.chroniccareca.org. Designed to help build a healthier California, the website is aimed at the more than 16 million Californians with chronic conditions such as Asthma, Diabetes, Alzheimer’s Heart disease, Epilepsy and Multiple Sclerosis.

24 Aug 2009

The Gerontologist discusses perceptions of different groups about cognitive health

A new special issue of The Gerontologist has identified for the first time how ethnically, culturally, linguistically, and geographically diverse groups think about aging and brain health.

21 Aug 2009

Health Disparities News and Research

Further Reading

Report on evidence-based disease prevention programs released by TFAH and NYAM

Diabetes more prevalent in African Americans due to living conditions

Study: Racial health disparities cost $229 billion from 2003-2006

U.S. healthcare system fraught with racial inequalities

Researchers to focus on abnormal fetal growth and chronic kidney disease

NMQF launches the P.A.D. Atlas database that maps peripheral arterial disease prevalence by zip code

NCF aims to improve cancer care by providing easily accessible tools

Study: Racial inequalities in health care

RWJF selects Regions Hospital to take part in its effort to improve cardiac care delivered in hospitals

Obesity experts call on policymakers to adopt obesity recommendations

New protein fragments identified for anthrax vaccine development

Mistrust of healthcare system could harm patients' health and raise overall health care costs

Report from health experts recommends several strategies to reduce childhood obesity

Statistics reveals that blacks experience higher rates of pancreatic cancer deaths than whites

Mistrust in health care system could impact patients' health and health care costs

Albert Einstein College of Medicine receives $11.2 million NIH grant to study genes associated with longevity

Thickening of neck arteries in healthy middle-aged women with feelings of hopelessness

Concussions could result in permanent brain impairment

The California Chronic Care Coalition launches new website to share information on chronic conditions

The Gerontologist discusses perceptions of different groups about cognitive health

Sensing a Healthier Future

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

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